Gardaí have made contact with the family of a man whose body was recovered from the River Bandon earlier this week.
Liaising officers traced family members of John Forrester (42) in Lincoln, England for four days after the man’s body was found.
Relatives confirmed Mr Forrester’s identity just hours before mourners turned out for the removal of Jonathan Duke (27) whose body was recovered from the river on Sunday night.
Gardaí issued a fresh appeal for information to anyone who may have seen Mr Forrester between 8pm on Saturday night and midnight on Sunday to contact Bandon Garda station at 023-8852200.
Mr Forrester is believed to have originally come from Blackpool, Lancashire.
His body, which was bound at the hands and feet, was discovered downstream from the West Cork town.
It is understood he was stabbed a number of times in the head and neck.
Investigators believe the unemployed man was attacked in his flat in Bandon before being thrown over railings into the river. He had been living in the town for the past two years.
His body was discovered during a search operation which included Garda divers and canoeists.
An investigation was upgraded to a full murder inquiry after a postmortem examination last night by assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.
Mr Forrester had been missing for two days when his remains were found yesterday and was last seen alive on Saturday night.